


Little To Love

by PandiBear



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, But Not Much, Curses, Established Zhengkun, Horror, Humor, I swear this isn't as bad as it sounds, Kidnapping, M/M, Missing Persons, Psychological Trauma, Some Fluff, Stalking, characters and relationships will be added as I go, or thriller I guess, some blood in chapter 2, well not exactly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:03:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14562465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandiBear/pseuds/PandiBear
Summary: An urban legend or a concurrent nightmare? Everybody looks at the world with a different perspective but they're going to have work together and think fast because whatever it is, is back.A small town recovering from a curse gets a scare as their children once again begin to disappear. The protective grasps of parents tighten in an attempt to keep their children safe, for some teens that's not an option so they begin to investigate only to find that their 'curse' is truly a prolific psychopath hiding behind the safety of small town beliefs.





	1. Prologue/Information

Within the last few months, the generally quiet, small town had been faced with horrors that most could only imagine would happen in the horror movies that they so often watched, or the scary documentaries that were set in places far away.

Some would say the town was never truly normal, a statement or 'fact' that the residents would refute all the while gently covering the ears of their children in hopes they would not hear the terrifying stories that were spread every so often. The disagreement that came from those who lived there was common, those viewing from the outside often contributed the denial to the refusal to admit that something was wrong.

The stories that are told come from those who eventually moved away from the town. admittedly the tragedies that occur are not common, rumoured to happen only once every twenty-five years, a 'strange coincident' the residents would scream as they softly locked the doors to their homes in a futile attempt to keep the dark shadows out and their children safe.

The supposed curse targeted teenagers from fifteen to nineteen years old, they would generally go missing, never to be seen again, but there were rare occasions where the body of a teen would be found months after their original disappearances. The only evidence to suggest that the curse was real came from the few newspaper or televised reports aired in 1968 and 1943, other than that it was based on story books written about the town and the legends spread by word of mouth.

The tales were forgotten  however when the year turned 1993, the dark coincidence which was set to once again bring tragedy after another twenty-five years did not happen. The whole year the residents watched with bated breath, waiting to see who would fall victim but no disappearances were reported and only five deaths happened that year, four of which were elders who died of natural causes, the last was a teenage girl, which meant she fit the profile of a victim, however she died in a terrible accident and was found straight away.

After that year the fear that held monstrous power of the village for centuries seemed to vanish, the villagers no longer needed to hold their children close as they feared that if they could not see them for even a minute they would never see them again.

Of course all good things must come to an end.

 

 

**Information**

There will be a lot of focus on the members of nine percent, each of them become in some way involved with the psychopath, they will be introduced at different points because trying to introduce everyone at once would be a bit overwhelming for me. As the story progresses you'll see them come together and form friendships and bonds because of their experiences throughout the story.

I wanted them all to be in high school so of course the ages have been changed so they can all attend as students.

Freshman  (2000 - 2002)

  * Justin
  * Chengcheng
  * Linong



Sophomore (1998-1999)

  * Xiao Gui
  * Xukun



Junior (1996-1997)

  * Ziyi
  * Zhengting



Senior (1993-1995)

  * Yanjun
  * Zhangjing



Of course there will be many other idol producer contestants that will appear through the fic, some will be more important than others but I can only write so many character at once. 


	2. One

Familiar trees stood proudly as they guarded the schools surroundings, their leafs swayed lightly accompanying the soft breeze that blessed the town's people with temporary relief from the unrelenting sun. Zhengting wiped his brow as he began to feel the uncomfortable collective of sweat. As soon as he had walked out his door that morning he already knew that the day was not going to be a good one, which said a lot since the boy -in most circumstances, loved the sun and the way in made him feel as it touched his skin. Clearly today was not one of those circumstances, he had dance club after school which would not be fun when the sun was likely to wear down everyone's patience through the day, by the time anyone entered the room they would likely be ready to snap, not to mention they were preparing to audition new members after last-years seniors had left and new talents were just waiting to join.

It was the start of a new year which meant the start of the new challenges in his 'school jorney', but he supposed not much would change, nothing ever did in the town.

"Zhengting!"

The dancer turned at the call of his name and sent a dazzling smile to the small boy running towards him. As the boy caught up he bent over to catch his breath before quickly recovering and sending an equally radiant smile towards Zhengting. "Good morning! Are you ready for dance later?" the boy asked, laughing at the groan he got in response. "Come on Ting, it won't be that bad, we'll mainly be organising the room and stuff for tomorrow, meaning we won't be dancing at least".

Zhengting threw his arm around the smaller boy's - Chaoze's - shoulder which the other was quick to remove as he complained about the heat, which was something the taller boy could definitely agree with.

"I know but the idea of cleaning the room sends shivers down my spine. I hate cleaning, especially the big clean after we come back from summer, or winter...or the weekend" he complained childishly, which made the squirrel like boy laugh and attempt to comfort him. "It shouldn't be so bad, I know a few of us have been using it throughout summer as well so it should still be relatively clean, especially if Zeren was the last to use it" Zhengting snorted in agreement, Zeren, despite being younger than the both of them was the one of the vice-captains of the dance club, he was known for his hard work and being fussy when it came to the state of the practise room.

"That's true, if it's been messed up since he last used it he's going to be so pissed, he'll probably tell off the other club members for 'a lack of responsibility' or something similar" Zhengting joked, trying to do his best impression of the younger boy.

"I hope that terrible impression is not supposed to be me" Zhengting shrieked at the sudden voice behind him. "Ding Zeren! You scared me, you brat" Zhengting complained as he massaged the space over his heart in hopes it would stop beating so erratically, the action earning a smirk from the offender. "Anyway, who else would he be talking about? You're the only person who nags at the others like that" Chaoze teased, avoiding the half-hearted swipe that Zeren threw at him. 

"So I heard some interesting news recently" Zhengting said as he wiggled his eyebrows at Zeren, the younger boy looked utterly unimpressed but gestured for him to continue. "Well I heard that a few little birdies saw you and our very own Zhou Yanchen together again" Zeren turned red as he avoided the curious and mischievous looks from the older two dancers. "I thought you guys broke up some time last year?" Chaoze asked, nudging the younger boy. "Well you know the break-up was because of my own stupid paranoia anyway, so we talked and things just turned out like this" Zeren tried to sound nonchalant but the ever growing redness of his cheeks and ears quickly revealed the truth.

"Ah the start of a new year and we already have our housewife gossip" Chaoze joked happily as they walked through the school gates. "Speaking of gossip, I've heard some pretty interesting rumours myself" this drew the attention of the other two, both curious about what the squirrel boy had heard that was so interesting.

"I've heard that Ting Ting here had his own admirer that may or may not have confessed" Chaoze said a little too loudly, drawing the attention from a few of those around them. "I mean, that's nothing new, Zhengting's had plenty of admires in the past. They just quickly get turned down or are disappointed when they learn about his messy personality". Zeren teased with a shrug, Zhengting didn't even bother to look offended because it was mostly true.

"Yeah but this isn't just anyone and I heard that our cute little Zhengting actually accepted the confession" the statement earned immediate indignant squawks from Zeren who was utterly offended that Zhengting hadn't told him, which Chaoze was quick to agree with, although a little more playful and a little less painful (Zeren's violent tendencies did usually leave the victim of his annoyance with a few 'accidental' bruises.)

"So who is it? As your best fr-" he was interrupted by Chaoze nudging him in the ribs with his elbow and was quick to correct himself. "-as one of your best friends I demand to know who I have to send death threats too". Zhengting rolled his eyes, debating whether or not to say anything, the majority of the school would likely know by the end of the day so he guessed he should tell his friends before the rumours did.

"Cai Xukun"

Zeren choked in surprise while Chaoze whacked the tallest on the back in 'congratulation'. "Xukun? As in Mr. Popular, Cai Xukun?" Zhengting nodded. "Nope, no way" Zeren denied making Zhengting whine, asking why there was 'no way'. "I don't know I guess just didn't think he would ever actually confess" Zeren answered with a shrug, which made Zhengting send him a confused look.

"You didn't know? Cai Xukun has been crushing on you since he joined, which means since this time last year since he and I are both sophomores now" Zeren explained, as if it was common knowledge, which to be fair it was, it seemed as though everyone but Zhengting knew about it.

"I can't believe you didn't know, Ting you have now been crowned the most oblivious person in town" Chaoze teased, Zeren soon joining in playfully.

"Whatever, we're dating now and that's what matters" he said, trying his best to act confident despite the fact he could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment. They stopped walking as they reached the notice boards.

"Well we need to go to class so I guess I'll see you guys at lunch or at practise later" the two older boy agreed and said good bye so the younger could go and find his lessons. "For a sophomore he is way to mature, I like those rare moments when he acts he's age, it's cute" Zhengting hummed in agreement as he looked at the class lists over the crowd of Juniors in front of him.

"Are we in the same class?" Chaoze asked, bouncing a little in an attempt to see above the crowd. The taller scanned the class lists before grinning "We are once again in the same class, that's five years running now!" the fairy-like boy exclaimed happily, giving a short high five (no pun intended) to Chaoze who was quick to join the celebration.

They were stopped by Mr Han who scolded the students and told them to quickly look at the board and go to class before they were late. Fearing the anger of the teacher the two quickly quieted down and hurried to their class.

 

_**LittleToLove** _

 

Walking into the class Yanjun was greeted with various welcomes, some from those he had befriended, others from those who admired him for his obvious handsome face, he wasn't a narcissist but he wasn't stupid either, he knew perfectly well that he was good looking and at times he liked to use it to his advantage.

He looked around the classroom hoping to see Dinghao, Ziyang or Luozheng but saw none of them making him deflate some, he was hoping at least one of them was just running late and wouldn't abandon him for the year, he wasn't sure he would survive the year without at least one of them. He was friendly with most but it wasn't quite the same as having one of his good friends in class with him.

He sighed, running his fingers through his newly dyed blonde hair, but decided to face his fate and just sit down before all the seats in the middle of the room were taken, there was no way he was going to be sentenced to spending that much time at the front of the room for the whole semester, the fact that he wasn't at the back would make napping in class eighty percent harder, the front would mean he would have no chance.

Yanjun settled in his seat, unfortunately being one of the last there meant he was unable to secure his usual spot at the back of the class like he had most of the previous year, but was lucky enough to not be sitting in the front like he feared he might have to.

"You all know the drill, as seniors I shouldn't have to remind you to play nice. This is You Zhangjing but he can introduce himself properly" Miss Tsai gestured to the short boy standing next to him, he smiled and introduced himself. "I'm You Zhangjing, I recently moved here from Malaysia by myself to study" he bowed slightly, the smile never leaving his face.

"Okay, you can take the empty seat next to Zhixie, put your hand up not your head down Mr Qiu" Miss Tsai scolded playfully, said boy sheepishly raised his hand for the new student to use as a guide. Yanjun looked the boy up and down, he was cute but boring. At least that's what he had decided from his brief judge of the boy.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slammed open and Dinghao scrolled in casually, briefly apologising when he saw the look Miss Tsai was giving him. He rushed to find a seat, sending a mischievous look towards Yanjun, obviously planning to woo the young girl next to the blonde so he could switch seats with her later.

When class actually started Yanjun quickly found himself zoning out, he wasn't a bad student but the classes, particularly at the beginning of the year were too repetitive, the only one that would likely find these lessons at all useful would be the new kid, considering he would have to catch up on the specific topics they were learning.

For the last few days Yanjun had felt something was off about the town, the surroundings looked as clean and ordinary as they always did but he couldn't help but feel an odd sense of foreboding, and if there was one teaching he actually listened too it was 'always trust your gut instinct', of course this very same teaching had got him into trouble on several occasions but he never stopped believing in despite that.

For now he would leave it, he would figure out how to act on it when he finds out what was wrong, but until he could place the feeling he could only work on more dazzling jokes to impress with.

 


	3. Two

Zhengting heard the bell ring and waited quietly until the homeroom teacher dismissed them, when he did, he left the room with quick succession. Zhengting leaned back in his chair, stretching his arm up towards the ceiling and yawning unashamed, the day had been as long as he feared and that was without the dance practice he still had to look forward to.

He was startled as Chaoze -not so gently whacked him on the back in greeting, despite literally being in class with him for the majority of the day. The taller dancer whined playfully at his friend which only earned him the promise of ice cream if he were to shut up, which of course he did.

"I guess we can use the ice cream to cheer ourselves up after dance" Chaoze said as they walked out the room, their bodies already carrying them towards the club room, muscle memory from the last two years of walking the same path after school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (sometimes they would have additional days if they were close to a show).

"I thought you said this morning that it wouldn't be that bad?" Zhengting asked sarcastically, Chaoze moaned pitifully in response, "Well I've never been known as the wisest squirrel out there, only the best dancer" Chaoze joked, running slightly to avoid any incoming attacks from the same-aged boy.

"Just wait until he get to practice, you're sorting all the paper work out for administration!" Zhengting called after the smaller dancer receiving a laugh in response even as the slightly younger boy continued to keep his distance.

As they approached the practice room, the two saw several of the club members hovering out the door, Zhengting felt worry coil in his stomach as he caught the anxious looks on some of the sophomore dancers faces. Chaoze, who was still ahead, was quick to go and check out what was going on as Zhengting himself sped up to see what the problem was.

When he reached the door he was quick to pass through the small crowd lingering outside the door. Upon entry the first thing he noticed was the dried red liquid which trailed into the room from the door before retching at the foul stench of rotten meat and blood. Zeren was standing in the room, Chaoze standing closely next to him in a heated conversation, Yanchen not far behind them. Zhengting looked around the room, almost immediately spotting the two words written in large lettering on the mirrors in the same liquid which was trailing across the floor, as if something had been dragged into the room.

The word's sent a familiar chill down his spine.

**_'YOU'RE MINE'_ **

The words sent an overwhelming emotion through him, it brought him back to his freshman years and the experience that drove him from school for several weeks.

He easily identified the emotion, after all it was practically the only thing he felt for a little over two months back in freshman year.

_Fear._

He was afraid. Again.

Yanchen spotted him through the mirror and was quick to get the attention of his boyfriend and Chaoze, the latter swiftly making his way over to taller to comfort him. "Hey, Zeren is going to take some photos and report it to the headmaster, then they'll send for the cleaning team" he tried to covertly turn Zhengting away from the mirrors.

"How about we go and get that ice cream" he looked back down at the floor where the liquid- which, by the smell, was easily identified as blood - and shook his head, a quick change of mind as he quickly thought about how his friend must have been feeling. "Or maybe we can leave the ice cream for another day and just go and get fresh air?" Zhengting nodded distractedly, shaking slightly as he was gently lead from the room, one of the shorter boy's arms around his waist while the other moved up and down his arm, rubbing it slightly for comfort.

He didn't even realise as some of the other club members tried to ask if he was alright, something which Chaoze was quick to wave off as he told them to go home as there would be no practice. One they were far away from the building, Chaoze sat him on a bench, ignoring the looks that some of the students passing by sent them.

"I'm going to call your dad so he can come and pick you up, okay?" the taller simply nodded, although this time actually processing the words, his mind finally recovering from shock, he was sure that the message was just a prank from someone who had heard rumours about his past but couldn't help but worry that it could have been _that person_ again.

Chaoze sat with him, chatting mindlessly to try and keep his mind off the previous events until the others dad arrived to collect his friend. Zhengting appreciated it, as they had been friends for almost half their lives they knew practically everything about each other. Being best friends and sharing the same class in freshman year meant that Chaoze had been with him through it all, never once abandoning him unlike others who became scared. The experience had meant that they shared a bond that Zhengting knew he would probably never share with Zeren, despite absolutely adoring the younger boy.

 

_**L _i **ttle**_ _ **T**_ _ **o**_ _ **L**_ _ **ove** _ ** _

 

Yanjun arrived earlier that morning, cursing his luck, if he had gotten here this early the day before he would have gotten a better seat. He stared despairingly at his preferred seat before looking around at the room, watching the few students who had already arrived.

He felt himself start to zone out in boredom but quickly stopped when a group of female classmates wondered in chattering amongst themselves rather loudly considering the unsettling subject of their conversation.

"Did you guys hear about what happened at the dance studio yesterday? I can't believe things like that actually happen in real life"

"I did, it's disgusting. Apparently it was left for a third year." The girl shovered dramatically, her friend quickly asking where she had heard it to which she shrugged.

"Where I heard it's not important, it's how I know" she winked at her friends who complained, telling her just to tell them what she knew because they were _'dying to hear the gossip'._

"Well I heard that the third year went all pale and had to be escorted out the room by his friend. Poor boy, I can't imagine how scary that must be".

Becoming curious Yanjun quickly stood up and put a charming smile on as he approached them. "So any of you girls want to explain to me exactly what you heard about the dance studio?" Zhongyu shrugged and told him about the rumours she had heard, some of the second years had gossiped about it but refused to mention who it was about, Yanjun supposed they had some loyalty despite spreading other news about the scene of the 'crime'.

The blonde nodded and thanked them as he sat back down, his head processing the information. Maybe that had been the bad feeling he had been having, he shook his head, he was sure that this was child's play in comparison to whatever was to come, he could feel it.

He sighed as he leaned back, silently praying he was wrong. The supposed incident from yesterday was already bad in the standards of their town, for something worse to happen would be unimaginable.

Dinghao ran into the room, he was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath after clearly running some way to make it to class on time. Once he had gathered himself he walked over and took the seat next to Yanjun's own, the action showing he had successfully managed to con his previous seat partner into swapping with him. "G' morning, you look awfully moody today" he greeted, Yanjun simply raising an eyebrow at his friend but not disagreeing.

The blonde was glad that Miss Tsai chose that moment to walk in, he couldn't be bothered to try and answer questions that he just didn't have the answers to yet, something that his friend would still interrogate him over but at least he had time to think of ways of diverting the conversation.

\--

Class, of course did not end fast enough and it was soon lunch time. Yanjun greeted his friends at their usual lunch table, Dinghao sliding into a seat right after him.

"So I found out the information you wanted to know" Dinghao stated as soon as his butt had hit the chair, which in turn left the rest of their group looking at him in confusion. He gestured towards Yanjun but he still didn't understand what the other was talking about.

"You know, I got the name of the kid who received the creepy stalker messages yesterday" he stated matter-of-factly to the blonde.

"I didn't ask you to find that out though" Dinghao rolled his eyes and patted his shoulders. "Please, you're easier to read than a children's picture book".

Yanjun huffed at the obvious insult but couldn't stop the smile that appeared. "I don't see how that can be true but okay. Ziyang was quick to remind the two of them that they were also at the table and would also like to know what they were talking about, so of course Dinghao 'had' to fill them in on what he had found out.

"Okay, but who was the kid that the message was left for?" Luozheng asked, also curious now.

"From what I heard it was our very own junior fairy, Zhu Zhengting. He and Lin Chaoze were seen leaving the building together yesterday and then he didn't show up this morning, Lin Chaoze did" he stated, clearly proud of himself for managing to gather the information that he did. "They have to move dance try-outs to next week since the practice room is still a mess, plus he isn't even there to monitor auditions".

Yanjun nodded, it made sense considering the boy was the president of the mentioned club. His thought process was once again cut off, this time by the sound of his phone ringing. he sighed but picked it up.

"What's up?"

"Well good afternoon to you too Yanjun, I see you have your phone on during school hours" the female voice replied to his more than improper greeting.

"You're the one who called me, what kind of teacher rings a student at lunch time?" he joked and was rewarded with a laugh from the other end of the line.

"One who is family and needs to ask you a favour"

"Oh and what is that I can help you with Bingbing Jie~"

"Take Chengcheng home after school, I'm too busy and the kid is too lazy to just ride his bike"

"Of course, that sounds like my cousin"

"Thanks, I owe you one".

He heard as she hung up, not even giving him time to say good bye. He huffed out a laugh and put his phone back into his back pocket. He tuned into the conversation, his friends quickly including him in their talk about Dinghao's 'amazing' night, which was obviously a lie. _Nothing different ever happened in the village._


	4. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have added a link at the bottom of this chapter, this poll will contribute to the story so choose wisely :D

"Chaoze, you're late! We have the new members auditioning toda- oh you brought Ting with you, I guess you're off the hook for now" Zeren called as he watched his co-vice-captain and the club leader enter the room. Chaoze managed to pull a half serious offended face before a smile took its place.

"You okay to be here today?" Zeren asked carefully, Zhengting nodded and smiled thankfully at the younger. "I missed school for two days, nothing else has happened and I should be here so we can induct our new members". Zeren squeezed his arm in reassurance before pulling Chaoze away to help finish cleaning the room, it had to be perfect according to the younger otherwise it would scare away any poor soul who was actually willing to join.

The three leaders decided on the first day that they would be the only members present for the auditions, they would film them so the other members would be able to comment on the choices later, but they didn't want to overwhelm any of the possible newcomers by surrounding them with all the members of their small club.

The cleaning was only able to go on for another few minutes before the first freshman arrived, nervously knocking on the door and looking completely terrified as Zeren opened the door and gave the poor boy immediate orders, which he followed with shaking hands, Zhengting tried not to laugh at the sight, which was simple when he remembered his own tried-outs and how nervous he had been.

Chaoze on the other hand was openly laughing while quickly stopping the boy, Zeren had only wanted to try being the intimidating senior that he couldn't be last year -having only been a freshman himself.

"You can sit down, we'll wait until a few more people join us before starting" Zhengting told the boy kindly, it appeared the freshman appreciated it as he nodded and managed to relax himself after his initial scare. 

Ten minutes past and only two more freshman showed up, the number of applicants were lower than usual but he supposed that wasn't to surprising considering the 'scandal' that was affecting the club. He smiled kindly at the three freshman and asked them to introduce themselves one at a time -which of course meant they had to show a small dance they were advised to prepare.

The first boy to have arrived introduced himself as Zuoye, he apparently had two older brothers, one of which Zhengting recognised as Peiyeo, a peculiar but friendly junior that he shared history class with. His dance was unpolished but the captain could see that he held skills that could one day be as good as any of the older members with a year or so of specialised practise, he was a definite pass and he could tell by the looking at his two friends they agreed.

The second boy was Lou Zibo, he was confident in his abilities something that shone through in his dance. He had informed them that he had only started dancing a few months before but if Zhengting hadn't been told he would never have known, with that in mind it showed the boy had overflowing potential that the dance club was going to harness and train carefully so the boy would be able to reach the high expectation that would soon fall on his shoulders.

The last boy was tall and unnaturally handsome for a boy his age, something even Zhengting's fairy charm was unrivalled to if you asked said boy at least. He introduced himself as Huang Minghao but playfully asked only to be referred to as Justin as it was his preferred name, everyone agree and asked for him to show his dance. Out of the three he had the most room for improvement but he was by no means a bad dancer, he clearly was not quite sure how to use his long limbs to his advantage, but Zhengting and Yanchen were living proof that being taller was not something that caused a huge problem while dancing, he just needed to get used to it.

The three leaders of the club asked the boys to sit down and take a drink while they discussed their options. They all knew that they were going to accept all three applicants but they wanted to look more serious so they separated themselves and whispered to each other while pointing to noted they had made, occasionally looking towards the three waiting boys, laughing secretly when they squirmed nervously.

Zhengting turned with a cough and smiled towards the freshman who smiled (at least two did, the other attempted to but the nerves made it look more like a grimace).

"After discussing each of our views we have come to a decision; the three of you are now part of the dance club!" he clapped as the three boys bowed and thanked them. "Your first practice is on Tuesday, don't be late we only accept those who are willing to put in their upmost efforts and being on time is a good place to start. Now sit down and we'll explain a few things about the club" Chaoze said and the dance leaders began to tell them what they would need to know.

"Okay any questions?" Zeren asked, he looked towards the three, all of whom looked hesitant. "Go on, we don't bite" he encourages, shooting a glare at Chaoze when the older boy scoffed and shot a sneaky 'that's not what Yanchen said' at him. 

"We heard some rumours a few days ago and-" Justin, who had spoken up after being nudged by the other two, he bit his lip and glanced towards them clearly uncomfortable with asking. "Our parents wanted to be sure that it was safe joining the club...in regards to the rumour of course. Sorry." he spat the last part as he saw Chaoze's lips thin in agitation. 

Zhengting, who had initially startled at the question was quick to direct a comforting smile towards the youngest boy. "Ah, while the rumour is true to a certain extent there is nothing to worry about, from what we can tell the action was a prank, something which we're taking extra precautions against. Every day we're are making sure one of the older member's locks up, rest assured none of you will have to do it, nor will you be in any danger. I hope that clears up any concerns, if your parents have any other concerns they are always welcome to speak to one of us" he finished, gesturing towards the Chaoze and Zeren.

The boys nodded, apparently convinced, at least two were. Justin was perceptive, he was smart and good at observing people, though most thought him goofy or even dumb. He could see the doubtful glances the two vice-leaders had been sending the captain as he spoke, there was clearly more to the rumours than they would admit but he wouldn't press the subject as they clearly were not welcoming anymore questions on the matter.

"Okay, since we're all done here for today, we'll see you boys at practice on Tuesday. Make sure you're careful on your way home". They waved the three young boys off before turning back to sit down on the floor of the practice room. 

"You think they'll all show?" The leader asked, Zeren patted him on the back with his free hand as he typed away on his phone with the other. Chaoze rolled his eyes at the younger. "Of course, your acting skills were better than Ruibin" he joked while trying to snatch Zeren's phone. "The ace of the theatre department? Well it's not like he gets much attention for his so-called 'acting skills'' the younger said offhandedly as he tucked his phone into his pocket. 

"That's not nice. Ruibin is good at what he does, that's like saying that you're not good at dancing" Zhengting scolded but was just waved off by the younger who denied, the situations were different and people knew the three of them for their talent, not many bothered mentioning the theatre major. Zhengting looked at them disapprovingly, going as far as to flicking the boy's head.

"Just you wait, I'm sure one day people will know his name more than yours and you'll be eating your words" he joked before dropping the subject.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be longer!  
> I know this one was boring but I promise the actual story will be picking up soon :)
> 
> I have put up an important poll on twitter. You can find the poll here ----> https://twitter.com/JellyHwall/status/1001142579252121600
> 
> If you liked this chapter leave a kudos or drop a comment! ^.^


	5. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally wrote some Zhengkun in, it's not much but it there.

It would be a lie to say that Xukun had missed hanging out with his boyfriend alone, since the new school year had started they hadn't hung out alone, they sat together at lunch on most days as they would switch between each other's friends, slowly getting to know both sides. 

It was hard to meet up after school because of different club activities, hanging out with friends and studying and Xukun abhorred it. They were both heavily involved in their individual clubs and Zhengting was apparently failing maths which meant he had been looking for a tutor which would take up another day or two afterschool. 

Despite their busy schedules they found time on the Wednesday of the second week to finally go on a date, something that Xukun secretly thanked the heavens or whatever was above for. He wanted to spend some time bonding with the older boy, they hadn't long been dating and he was somewhat worried that they would breakup because of their own busy schedules.

The café they were going to was what they claimed as their common date spot, it was the place that Xukun had confessed in just a bit over a month before and honestly their desserts and drinks were the best in town so they decided it was their 'official' spot. 

The bell tinkled as the two boys walked in hand-in-hand, stupid smiles on their faces as they waved at the familiar waitress who stood behind the till. Looking around Xukun noticed one of the tables were occupied by two boys with their uniform, he smiled towards them before moving towards his usual table on the opposite end of the shop. 

If there was one thing he was fond of about their small, secluded town it was how accepting it was, they could be their own person without the fear of being judged, something the mainland did not have making him sure he was lucky to be born here. There was a problem at the same time, they were out of the way, not many people came or went which ultimately meant contact was limited, some people claimed that this made a few people crazy but those were just stories.

Quiet chatters filled the shop, the sound soothing as they talked, most of the conversation were complaints about school or a funny story of things that had happened during a club practise. Their usual drinks were delivered to the table a few minutes after they sat down but Xukun's attention was drawn to something else, he had noticed the older of the two school boys had been staring towards their table for the last few minute, he was sure he recognised the boy as a senior, the boy well known for his charm, flirtatious personality and surprisingly cold jokes.

Catching the eye of the senior - Lin Yanjun, if he remembered correctly- and gave a questioning look to which the other ignored, turning back to the younger boy next to him to pay attention to whatever it was he was talking about. Seeing the response he was quick to shrug it off, his attention pulled back to Zhengting as the older boy called his name and asked if he was okay. 

They sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying their drinks and soaking in each other's presence as they listened to the quiet chatters in the café. Xukun found himself looking at his boyfriends serene face, something which reminded him that he had been meaning to ask the older boy about the dance club but hadn't want to do it until he could ask in person, to make sure that the other was truly okay and not hiding behind the reassurances of a text. 

"Ting-ge, I heard about the dance club-" he watched the older boy carefully, seeing as a frown flashed on his face before it relaxed almost immediately. "I assume you were there...are you okay?" Zhengting shifted uncomfortably, he sent a smile towards his boyfriend and took a sip of his drink to try and clear his throat. "I saw it, it was disturbing but just a stupid prank" he lied smoothly, after receiving the same question multiple times over the few days he was certain he was almost convincing himself with the same old sentence. 

Seeing the concerned look the younger boy didn't even try and hide he laughed forcefully, hoping it sounded genuine. "Seriously, the prankster could have been a little more considerate, the room was a pain to clean and I swear I can still smell it" he joked. He hadn't actually been involved in the clean-up, the school hired someone to deal with it, worried that the blood could negatively impact the student, the smell on the other hand still haunted him every time he went into the room. 

The performance seemed to work as he saw Xukun relax a bit before changing the subject. 

 

_**LittleToLove** _

 

"Why are we at a café?" Chengcheng looked at the small shop, clearly unimpressed with their choice of location. Yanjun knew he was only complaining because they walked there instead of going straight home meaning the walking time was going to be even longer, but he also knew that the younger boy was not going to be complaining at the food and drink that he was going to order and force him to pay for it. 

"Just go inside" he gently pushed the younger through the door, the familiar bell sounding to alert their arrival. He moved over to a table by the window and shoved the younger into a seat before going to order. 

When he came back to the table he saw the younger boy playing on his phone, clearly planning to ignore his existence until their order had arrived. The bell sounded again as they waited and Yanjun looked up to see two familiar boys, both were wearing the same uniform as them. He quickly recognised the taller of the two as Zhu Zhengting, or 'Human Fairy' as Dinghao so often referred to him by.

He tried not to stare as they sat down, the second boy facing his direction helping him identify him as the popular second year that he really couldn't remember the name of. Their drinks arrived (along with a muffing that he slid over to Chengcheng to keep the younger boy from complaining) bringing his attention back to his own table which was unsurprisingly boring, Chengcheng started telling him about some viral video he had seen earlier that day and he couldn't but zone out, his attention moving back to Zhengting.

He knew the rumours were blowing over but he couldn't help but feel curious about how they related to the pretty boy, there was always the chance that he was scared of blood or the sight made him feel unwell but he doubted it. He caught the eye of the popular blonde friend and quickly tuned back into whatever Chengcheng was saying.

"Do you think I should dye my hair red?"

"No, why on earth what you do something like that, you'd look ridiculous."

"I would look good no matter what I do and I wanted a change."

"Well don't, Bingbing-jie would kill you and then the poor hairdresser who did it."

The bell chimed again and Yanjun saw another familiar face come into the cafe, he couldn't remember the short boys name but he knew it was the cute transfer student from his class. The other boy seemed to spot him as he gave a little wave before going to the counter to order a drink. He didn't stay long but Yanjun found himself watching the cute smile he wore as he talked to the waitress until he left the shop, sending a small smile towards them. 

He felt Chengcheng nudge him a smirk on his face as he nodded towards the door, Yanjun snorted and continued drinking what was left of his drink, ignoring the wiggling eyebrows of his idiot cousin.

 

_**LittleToLove** _

 

When the town awoke with the rising sun it would seem like any other day, it would seem that way even as their children would go off to school. 

Well every ones children but one.

One parent who had spent the last few hours making rushed phone calls to everyone she knew, begging them to tell them that her little boy was with them, that they knew where he was and that he was safe.

Unfortunately that was a reassurance she was not privileged to, as phone call after phone call left her with no answers and more panic. The day went on like this, a report being made to the police by a mother who promised the universe in return for her son.

By the next day the whole town knew, their hushed whispered filled the street as most made their children cancel clubs or meet-ups for the day so they could come straight home.

The third day marked the formation of a search party put together by many parents who wished to help the grieving family in any way they could, all the while hiding their own children at home, the attendance at school at an all-time low.

It was then the newspaper read the name everyone had been calling for three days in hopes to get a response from a boy who could not answer.

**Li Xikan.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that marks the first disappearance of the pic. I'm not sure if any of you voted of the poll that I put up on twitter but those who did left me to choose between Lingchao and Xikan and as you can see poor Xikan was chosen.
> 
> I write updates and will be doing more polls for the fic in future so if you don't want to miss you can follow my twitter @YouZTings 
> 
> I'm sorry for the current low quality of the writing, I haven't done much writing recently and I'm trying to get back into the flow, it will hopefully improve as the story progresses.


	6. Five

Over a week and nothing.

It had been a week and still no one had heard from Li Xikan.

The police had managed to convince journalists and those who knew nothing about the boy that this case was simply a case of a runaway teen who no longer wanted to live in the small town, he wanted to travel and see the 'real world'. Of course if you asked his parents, a friend, or even someone who only knew him in passing, they would tell you that there is no way he had run away.

For the first few days media from the mainlands had caught wind of the news and were fast in reporting the tragedy. The titles they used tried to bring up the 'dark history' of the town but were quickly shut down, the local authority feeding lies about how the boy had been a dreamer, often saying his wishes to leave. They wished for nothing more than to uphold their peaceful image, not caring for the grieving mother or father that saw the news change, along with their hopes that their boy would be found – alive or dead.

From the moment Yanjun heard the news he finally understood the feelings he had been getting since the beginning of the new school year. He saw as people began to relax at the high possibility that the missing boy had chosen to leave, it had not been the cause of any outside forces, human or not. Despite not knowing the younger boy he was sure that the reassurances they had been feeding people were gain less. All the force news was doing was lowering the defences of the people, which could only to cause more problems in the long run.

There was no doubt in his mind that this disappearance wouldn't be the last, no this was only the beginning.

"Yanjun!" The students sitting around the classroom jumped as Dinghao burst into the room, slamming the door open for dramatic effect. The aforementioned boy raised an eyebrow at his friend's entrance but waited until he had made it to his seat before scolding him for his loud, but not uncommon entrance. Trying to catch his breath, Dinghao merely waved off his scolding and sat down ungracefully in his seat.

Once he managed to regulate his breathing, Dinghao turned suddenly towards his cold-faced friend making the other raise a questioning eyebrow.

"I was hanging around, like I usually do before school-"

"Is this story going to have point or is it just one of those sporadic tales of how you somehow managed to collect free strawberry milk from those poor old ladies that adore you for some unfathomable reason?"

Dinghao huffed at the insult but decided to let it go for the sake of gossip (he was sure Yanjun was just jealous of how much the grandma's liked him anyway.)

"It's nothing like that, now be quiet and let me finish" he watched, satisfied as the handsome boy gestured for him to continue without further argument or snarky comment.

"As I was saying, I was out by the gate talking with a few friends when I heard a few sophomores talking about how they were called in for morning assembly".

"Okay, that's great and all but why would I care that sophomores were called in some a morning assembly?" honestly he had no idea why the brunette was telling him this, it wasn't as if morning assemblies were uncommon or surprising.

"You know, your impatience may be the end of you one day" he whined. "From what I heard it's about Li Xikan. Some of them think they have some development in his case. Honestly, I hope they didn't find his body of something, that'd be so sad" he lowered his voice towards the end, looking around the room as if to make sure no one had heard.

Yanjun leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. It wouldn't be that surprising if that sort of news did occur but Yanjun himself could only hope that whatever this was didn't come to that.

 

_**\- - -** _

 

Lunch time came about pretty fast, of course in the time between Dinghao had managed to update his information, much like he always did. He approached the table rather calmly, which was weird since he would usually bound over like an overexcited puppy (something that had on more than one occasion resulted in someone losing their lunch).

"What's with that look? You look like a depressed puppy" Luo Zheng joked as the boy sat down next to him. "Well I was talking with one of the Sophomores and the news was nothing, apparently they only wanted to ask the students to report anything information they could use to locate him, they seem to think that his friends could be hiding information to cover him or something" the brunette placed a comforting hand on Luo Zheng's shoulder when he saw the sad look on his face.

"Sorry Zheng, I know you guys were close. If it helps even a little, none of us believe the stupid news. I just hope he's oka-" he received a kick and saw Yanjun shake his head slightly. "I mean, I know he's fine. Whatever happened I'm sure he'll be back safe and sound in no time".

The silence at the table was almost painful as they all watched Luo Zheng's expression closely. The boy stayed silent for a few seconds before smiling at them, it was clear that although genuine, the smile was sad. "I know, we just have to wait for more news".

The topic was quickly changed, a guilty looking Dinghao telling a random story that was more than likely fake but doing a good job lightening the mood regardless. Feeling his phone vibrate, Yanjun pulled it from his pocket and saw a Message from his cousin.

**_Come and see me in my office, I have a favour to ask._ **

He stood, excusing himself from his friends, even waving to Ziyang as he asked if he could finish whatever lunch he had left.

He knocked on the door and bowed upon entering. He moved to his cousins desk easily, used to coming to get her if she wasn't staying late afterschool (even though that was rare, she liked to finish off her work at school so she didn't have to worry about it when she was at home). She waved at him when she saw him coming and gestured for him to sit in the chair next to her own.

"I know you've been doing this without me having to ask, we live together after all but could you keep an eye on Chengcheng, walk with him afterschool and the like? I've had this bad feeling recently and I think it would be better if you both have each other for safety, of course I'll go with you guys when I can but you know that's not very often" she said sincerely, he felt sorry when he realised how stressed this had made her and was quick to agree.

"You know I will, you can calm down and stop stressing now, it's bad for the skin particularly in old ladies like yourself" he joked, relieved when he saw her relax a bit, even as she insulted him good naturedly for the comment.

"You better go back and enjoy the rest of your lunch" she said, Yanjun stood up with a nod. "Yanjun" he turned back to look at her "thank you" she stated simply but Yanjun could hear her sincerity, he smiled and shook his head before leaving the office.

 

_**-LittleToLove-** _

 

The day had been the same as all the others before it. Justin wasn't a fan of the consistency but today he had the extra _exciting_ job of doing research in the library instead of going straight home and enjoying any free time on one of his many gaming consoles.

To say that he was unimpressed was an understatement but he had to do the work there, particularly because his mum found out he didn't finish a unusually boring peace of homework and had been distracted by one of the many wonders of the internet  – online gaming.

"Justin! Aren't you going home?"

Justin looked at his friends and shook his head. "I can't I have homework to do and the research material is apparently in the library" his friends laughed at his annoyed tone. "You know there is this thing called the internet that works really well for research, right?" Zuoye teased.

"I know but I find that the information is a lot more accurate when it comes from its original source" he teased back.

"Right and the real reason isn't because your mum banned you from using your phone for homework because you became distracted last time and got a detention for not completing the work?" Zibo asked, pulling Zuoye towards the entrance as Justin denied the accusations, which were of course true but he wasn't going to entertain the other boys that information.

"Well, travel home safely!" Zuoye called as they left Justin to go his own way. There was a library in the school and seeing as his teacher said there would be the correct information there he decided to check it out, despite it being one of the smaller libraries in town.

When he walked inside it was dead silent, he saw the librarian send him a welcoming smile at the entrance and bowed back in greeting. Not knowing where anything was he decided to ask the seemingly friendly librarian, who helped him with the same warm smile before sending him off with a 'good luck' when they found the aisle he was looking for.  

Picking out one of the many books about the town's rich history: the topic he had been told to research and write about, he was quite to find a table which had only one other student sitting at it. He greeted the boy quietly and asked if he could sit, to which he received a bright smile for.

"Of course, I don't mind".

He smiled appreciatively and sat opposite the 'cute smile' boy. While they worked he noticed the other boy's deep look of concentration, the look so different from the megawatt smile he had received in greeting. After a little while of the two sitting in silence he heard the other boy call for his attention quietly, clearly not wanting to disturb anyone else.

"You're a freshman, right? I think we might be in the same history class" the boy provided, the same bright smile back. Justin racked his brain, trying to remember seeing the boy but felt bad when he couldn't remember him. "I can tell you don't recognise me, its okay, I just remembered you coming in late for class a few days ago" the other boy assured jokingly, to which Justin scratched the back of his head sheepishly to.

"Yeah sorry about that, I'm not really that good at remembering faces unless I talk to them. I'll definitely remember you now-" he stopping, realising they hadn't actually introduced themselves so he wasn't sure what the other boys name was.

"Linong, Chen Linong. How about we become friends?" the other boy reached across the table for a handshake to which he reciprocated while supplying his own name.

"Well I don't see why not, are you planning on coming here a lot?" Linong nodded his head, but thought for a moment. "I will but not on Monday's or Thursday's, I have theatre club on those days" Justin nodded at the information. "I guess we'll only see each other on Wednesday and Fridays then, I have dance after school on Tuesday and Thursday" he saw the other boy nod, his smile dimming slightly before it returned.

"How about we meet each other on the days we have clubs to? Since we both have a practice on Thursday and on the other days we'll probably need to go to the library as well" he looked a little bit sheepish upon noticed he had begun rambling.

"That is, only if you want to?" he said, unsure now he had realised he had assumed the unnaturally good-looking boy would be there every day and that it was a little bit weird for him to offer when they had only just met.

Just sent him a reassuring smile when he noticed the black haired boy begin to look a bit self-conscious. "It sounds good, on the club days I'll also be walking with some of my friends since we go to the same club, if that's okay with you? There's also the whole 'safety in numbers' thing, my mum doesn't really think it's safe despite the local authorities reassurance, it would make her feel better to I guess".

Linong's smile came back in full force and he nodded, telling the other that he wouldn't mind walking with his dance friends, he could always introduce the younger to a few of his own friends if he really felt uncomfortable.

"Great, how about we start today? It's already getting late and we need to figure out how far we can even walk together, since we may live far apart" Linong agreed and they began to pack up their bags upon realising how late it had already gotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second poll is up on twitter   
> https://twitter.com/YouZTings/status/1005864216002289664
> 
> Many of you were upset that Xikan was chosen last time so remember to vote to try and save who you want (the person with the most votes will disappear in the next chapter) 
> 
> If you don't have twitter you can tell me in the comments the one you choose not to save. 
> 
> Quanzhe,  
> Zhenghao,   
> or Jeffrey.   
> Choose wisely ;)


	7. Six

The bated breathes held after the disappearance of Li Xikan quickly turned into cries of distress as the news of a second disappearance hit the town.

Dong Youlin, a senior who often went by the name Jeffrey. His disappearance was reported exactly two weeks after the first, the town quickly becoming a mess with protests against the local authorities starting up, they wanted answers, they wanted an apology to the family of Li Xikan who had been wrongly accused of running away, and most importantly they wanted the guaranteed safety of their children.

The next response was of course the one they found to be the most 'logical'.

_**The Curse.** _

The year matched up with those from before, it was exactly 50 years after the last set of events rocked the town but that should have been impossible as the curse had been broken, nothing happened in 1993, the curse losing its power and disappearing.

The elders refuted the denials, quick to blame their mishaps on the unforeseen force which was back and probably worse than ever before, it had not claimed the life's of any children for 50 years meaning it needed to make up the energy it had lost.

_A scare tactic._

Did it work?

**Yes.**

The town was in fear. Parents wanted to protect their children but had no way to ensure their safety when their apparent foe was invisible.

The uproar was hug. After a full day of people arguing back and forth within an overcrowded town meeting, it was decided that school would be out for a week, but no more as the students academics needed to come first. Of course the statement had earned anger in response as their safety should be the priority but in the end the parents had to give up and accept only the week.

 

**-LittleToLove-**

 

"You know they're discussing a curfew? I've already talked to the school and your father and I believe it would be better if you stopped the dance club until this...situation can be resolved" Zhengting turned from where he was standing by the door, his hand still perched on the handle.

"You want me to disband the dance club?" he asked calmly but his mother could tell he was upset, he was never too hard to read, he wore his heart on his sleeve and wasn't ashamed to show his emotions.

"No, just cancel it for the next few weeks until everyone can be sure that it's safe for you to continue, just think about it. All the team captains for clubs are being asked but I'm not sure how many will continue. I would prefer it if you didn't" she said carefully, watching her sons expression to make sure she hadn't upset him, she only wanted to protect him, not restrict him but if that was the only way to protect him she will, she only hopes it wouldn't come to that and he agrees now.

"I'll talk about it with Zeren and Chaoze, they have an equal part in deciding and I won't make a choice without first talking about it with them". He let his mum kiss his head before saying good bye and leaving for school, his head in thought, thinking carefully about what his mother had said.

After a few minutes a familiar figure walking ahead with three other boys, one of which he was sure he recognised but was confused as to why he was there, and the one he didn't recognise despite the unique hairstyle of dreads he chose to wear.

"Yanchen!" he called, the same aged boy heard him and turned, smiling when he saw who it was. He turned briefly before all four of them stopped and turned to wait for Zhengting who didn't bother to speed up, the weather was too hot for that.

"Morning!" Yanchen gave him his signature toothy smile in return as Zhengting turned towards the long haired male and gave him a look in confusion. Rui snorted and linked his arm with Zhengting's teasingly. "Surprised to see me here?" he asked but didn't give him the chance to answer before he was nudging Xingjie who snorted and shook his head as he punched the other boys shoulder.

"The idiot managed to failed last year and now has to retake a few classes" the fourth boy laughed and Zhengting turned his attention to him as they continued to walk. Yanchen seemed to realise that the two of them didn't actually know each other and was quick to introduce them. "This is Linkai, he's a sophomore this year. Don't worry about not recognising him, he only shows up enough that he can make it through the year, none of us are sure how he gets away with it but he likes to think it's his charm.

Zhengting smiled at the boy and introduced himself.

"Yeah I know who you are, the 'human fairy' or whatever, Yanchen talks about you sometimes and these two idiots know you as well" the youngest looked smug but that was quickly changed into a groan as he was hit by both Rui and Xingjie, neither one taking the comment to heart but still punishing the boy playfully.

"Don't worry they're all good things...apart from that overly loud, obnoxious laugh that you do sometimes" Xingjie said and Rui was quick to join. "Don't forget his sudden violent tendencies" the oldest joked before looking around, obviously looking for something.

"So where's that new boyfriend of yours? I thought he would walk you to school". Zhengting raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Why would he do that? I'm a big boy, I'm pretty sure I can walk to school by myself without a problem. Plus I'm older, if any one should be walking someone to school shouldn't it be me walking him?" he asked while wiggling his eyebrows, his voice raising as he joked. Rui nudged him, telling him to 'shut up' for being too loud.

"Lame" he heard Xingjie call from next to Linkai, the younger boy looking amused by the conversation. "Hey I heard Yanchen once asked you out, is that true?" the youngest boy asked, his tone sly as Yanchen squawked indignantly and tried to shut him up.

"He did" amused, the fairy-like boy answered nonchalantly with a shrug as Yanchen sighed. "Why'd you turn him down?" Xingjie asked, genuinely curiously. Zhengting thought for a second before smiling again.

"Hmm he asked me in freshman year, it was at a party and we were kind of drinking-" the illegally went unspoken as Zhengting winked at the suggestion. "He suddenly asked while we were both drinking and I said no because I knew it was the alcohol talking and I was sure we were meant to be just friends. I was right, since he has Zeren and I have Xukun now" he answered truthfully, Rui watched as Yanchen nodded along with the comment, satisfied when Yanchen didn't look bothered or upset by the story.

"That's fair" Xingjie commented, looking down at his phone briefly, his eyebrows furrowing briefly before he tucked the device back into his pocket. None of the other took much notice.

"Are you allowed to participate in clubs this year, or..." Zhengting gestured lazily as he silently cursed the sun for being almost as overbearing as he was sure his mother was likely to become in the coming weeks.

"No, they said no extra distractions or I'm likely to fail again" Rui snorted but the younger could tell the other was unhappy about the decision, he loved the choir club during his time there. Zhengting nodded and pat the shorter on the shoulder sympathetically.

"What about you Linkai? Are you participating in any clubs?"

"Nope, I have...outdoor activities that I prefer to use my time on, not wasting it in some stupid school club that won't ever help me in life" Linkai answered lazily, noticing the somewhat offended look on the fairy-like boys face he laughed apologetically, to which the other smiled at and waved him off.

"It's cool, I get where you are coming from, though I'm going to say that the dance club is an exception and you're not allowed to say otherwise" he said in mock seriousness, Linkai saluting him jokingly in response.

"Well you guys seem to fit better than I thought you would, small miracles I suppose" Rui said offhandedly as they walked through the gate. Zhengting looked ahead and saw Xukun. "Ah it was fun catching up and meeting you, Linkai, I have to go but I'll see you guys later" he said, slightly distracted as he tried to keep track of his boyfriend.

He suddenly spun around and looked directly at his fellow dancer.

"Oh wait! Yanchen can you and Zeren meet me at lunch? I need to discuss the dance club with you guys, I'll bring Chaoze" he said and Yanchen nodded knowing it was important and no up for discussion. "Yeah yeah, now go and catch up with lover boy, Yanchen will see you later" Xingjie said as they all said good bye and watched him run towards his boyfriend.

\---

"Kun!"

The familiar voice had him turning, already smiling as his eyes met with his boyfriends. He stopped and waited for the older boy to catch up, swinging an arm naturally round the slightly taller boy's waist.

"Morning Ting, you're coming in late this morning" through the statement Zhengting heard the underlining question, the younger curious about the disruption in his usual schedule.

"My mum had some concerns she wanted to discuss with me" they were quiet for a few seconds before Zhengting suddenly clapped his hands together, Xukun had to fight the urge to hold his chest to try and calm his surprised heart but didn't want to admit the action had managed to scare him, of course the elder saw it anyway but decided to not to tease the younger boy about it.

"That reminds me, I know we were supposed to sit with your friends today but I need to talk to a few members of the dance club" he said apologetically, the younger quickly waving off his concerns. "It's okay, you could always eat with us after you're done, unless you're going to be busy all lunch" the younger replied.

"I shouldn't be, just need to discuss some possible changes because of the town current...situation?" he struggled finding the right words to explain the sensitive subject but Xukun just nodded in understanding.

"That's cool, you know a space next to me is always open for you. I heard some of the village heads were discussing a curfew, I don't think it'll pass though, the old farts care too much about academic achievement to cut away time that students could be using to study" he rolled his eye, his parents had not been happy when the town elders insisted that their education should come before safety, of course not in those words but the implication was there and his parents had been furious.

"Yeah, that's what I needed to talk about with the others. My mum wants me to put the club on hold because she's worried that staying out late will be dangerous, I don't want to but I need to see how the others feel about it before making any decisions" he answered, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

Xukun slipped his arm around the older boys shoulders, he could tell the other was stressed by whole situation and he could understand, the captain of his basketball club had been facing the same problem, the team had been texting about it during their week off and had decided to keep it going, for the next few weeks at least, the only things was that they would travel in groups on the way home to try and ensure their safety as much as possible.

"Everything will be fine, you guys will work it out no matter what conclusion you come to" he reassured sternly, Zhengting stopped and looked at him, they stayed like that for a few seconds before the slightly taller boy nodded and smiled.

"Thanks Kun, that really helped" said boy smiled back and brushed the others hair gently away from his eyes.

"We should go to stop before Mr Li sees us and decides to give us detention for public displays of attention or something" Zhengting laughed.

"Are we walking home together today?" the younger said after a moment of quiet. Zhengting took a bite from his sandwich as he shook his head.

"No, I'm going to practice for a while after school" Xukun looked displeased at the answer but Zhengting pat his cheek lazily, the action making the younger boy smile as he swiped the hand away from his face. "Be careful on your way home".

 

 

Zhengting found himself distracted throughout his classes, his mind busy trying to find solutions for the dance club, he knew the others would be unhappy if they had to cancel the club but also wouldn't blame him, they knew the dance club meant as much to him as it did to them.

He sighed hearing the bell for lunch, it was time to face the problem. He was quick to grab Chaoze before the shorter boy was able to bolt out of the room like he usually did at lunch.

"Hey, I need to talk to you and Zeren, I asked Yanchen to bring him to meet us now" Chaoze agreed easily, worried about the serious tone he was using.

They didn't make it far before they heard someone shout of their names, turning, Zhengting spotted Zuoye running towards them, when he made it the older boy steadied him as he bent down to catch his breath.

"That was impressive, tell me, have you ever thought of joining the track team?" Chaoze joked but lost his smile when he saw the nervous look on the youngest boys face. "Are you okay?"

Zuoye nodded but looked upset so Zhengting placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him a little.

"My mum wanted me to talk to you, she wants me to quit the dance club because it's too dangerous to be walking home at that time. I did try and explain that I walked home with Zibo and Justin but she said that there is still a part of the walk where we all have to walk our separate way. I'm worried, she said she was going to talk to their parents about it as well" Zhengting watched as he wrung his hands, he could see how guilty the other felt and was quite to try and reassure him.

"Hey, it's okay. Me and the other lead members are going to talk it out now, we also have some concerns about that. You don't have to quit, I'm sure we can figure something out. If you show up to practice tomorrow we will tell you what we've decided and you can reassure your mum that I will personally walk you guy's home and won't leave until you have arrived safely, okay?"

Chaoze nodded along, he hadn't actually known what they had been about to talk about but hearing the concerns from a younger member showed him that it was surely an issue for the club, he just hoped they could find a solution that would keep the dance club going.

"Go and enjoy your lunch, we'll talk to you tomorrow. Make sure you're safe on your way home tonight" Zhengting sent him off and linked arms with Chaoze as they continued to the lunch hall.

Finding their table wasn't hard, Yanchen and Zeren appeared to be arguing and a third person was sitting with them, looking amused by the two. Zhengting was surprised to see Kaihao, the oldest member of the club sitting with them.

They had three senior members of the club; Kaihao and the twins, Yuntian and Yunyi. They were busy with their final year meaning they didn't show up much for practice but they would catch up for any special performances the club had to do when the dances were finalised. Kaihao had been the captain last year but gave the role up to focus on his studies,, much like the twins.

"Kaihao!" Chaoze shouted, as soon as he caught sight of the senior he was speeding to the table to greet the elder excitedly. "Good to see you again, I heard you guys wanted to discuss something important so I thought I would come and join you, offer advice and just to know what happening" he explained as Zhengting sat down at the table.

"Okay, well I think we need to think about stopping the club or at least moving the sessions somewhere other than after school" the leader explained bluntly, not wasting any time.

Zeren looked serious as he sat quietly, listening to the suggestions of the others. Chaoze had explained how some of the first years seemed to be in a hard situation with their parents about the matter and Zhengting agreed, admitting his own parents were worried.

"How about we move practice to the mornings. It shouldn't be dangerous because a lot of students come in early and we can meet three times a week instead of two because there will not be as much time. Me, you and Chaoze can stay late some days to prepare the choreo without the younger members" he said, directing his comment at Zhengting who nodded a long to his suggestion.

"That sounds like a good idea, we can talk to the rest of the members tomorrow just to make sure they are all okay with that and then we'll begin the morning sessions next week if the club agrees".

"Okay, well that was easier than I thought it would be. I'll talk to Yunyi and Yuntian about coming to help with Choreography occasionally, that way you guys have extra help to make deadlines and stuff" Kaihao said as he picked up his bag, the younger member nodded and thanked the senior as he left, Zhengting getting up soon after.

"Okay, well since that's sorted, I'm going to go and eat with Kun" he waved to the others, who were finally able to relax and enjoy the rest of lunch, and left to go and find his boyfriend.

It didn't take him long to spot the younger boy sitting with his friends. He made his way over and greeted them with a smile as he sat down next to Xukun, the younger putting his arm and around his waist after hesitating for a few seconds.

"Hey" Ziyi greeted, the two had known each other in passing before they were introduced properly by Xukun, Zhengting wasn't sure that he would call the same aged boy a friend but they got along just fine when they did sit together.

"Where's Mingjun?" Ziyi looked awkward at the mention of the other boy making Zhengting frown, confused by the reaction. Ziyi coughed but answered. "He and a few other friends are meeting up to try and form some sort of protection group, they don't want whatever happened to their friend, to happen to someone else".

Zhengting stared sympathetically for a few moments before his mind clicked and he gasped as he understood why the other looked so affected by the topic.

"Oh Ziyi, I'm sorry. I forgot that you and Jeffrey were close, how are you holding up?" Ziyi sighed and rubbed his face tiredly, Zhengting realised the other boy must be sick of hearing the same question and felt somewhat guilty, only being reassured by Xukun gently squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry, you probably hear that too many times in a day" the dancer apologised, Ziyi shaking his head, he knew the slightly older male was being sincere, he genuinely cared and wasn't just asking out of politeness of sympathy.

The three of them sat in an awkward silence for a few minute before Ziyi smiled and reassured them that he was fine, they both looked doubtful, Xukun sending him a look that meant they would talk about it later, but he simply ignored it and smiled, picking at his lunch.

The rest of the time passed quickly, the three boys packing up as they heard the warning bell and quickly dispersed with small greetings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long, I won't make any excuses but I am sorry. The next chapter will be out much faster, I promise. 
> 
> To make the fic more interactive but not only in a slightly mean way (making you guys choose who goes missing) I decided to do more polls, some of them will have very little impact on the story, others will have huge impacts. 
> 
> Some of the bigger polls will give you guys the chance to help the characters who go missing but the answers will not be easy to pick, I won't make it obvious what each outcome will lead too and you guys will have to find out in once the chapters are released. I will warn you when these polls pop up so don't worry about missing them. 
> 
> The polls will be posted on my twitter (@YouZTings)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a new fic that I really shouldn't be starting but I'm going to anyway. I love writing horror but have yet to write about anything outside the realm of supernatural so I decided to try now. I hope that you can enjoy this story as much as I do!
> 
>  
> 
> If you want to talk or if you have any questions you can find me on twitter @YouZTings


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